Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny! is a temporary rustic cabin occupying one of the last remaining unclaimed spaces of downtown San Francisco -- above and between other properties. The tiny cabin can be seen affixed to the side of the Hotel des Arts, floating above the restaurant Le Central like an anomalous outgrowth of the contemporary streetscape. Using a 19th-century architectural style and vintage building materials, the structure is both homage to the romantic spirit of the Western Myth and a commentary on the arrogance of the Westward expansion. The interior space of the tiny house can be seen day and night through the curtained windows, a lonely beacon in the city's dense landscape, and an incongruous, haunting vision from below. The project was commissioned by Southern Exposure and funded by the Graue Family Foundation. Manifest Destiny! Is a collaboration between Mark Reigelman & Jenny Chapman | Structural Engineer: Paul Endres.